As the downtown venue, Panorama Music House was rebuilt, it also added a little shop inside called the Panorama Music Exchange. The shop offers a giant variety of guitars, pedals, drums, vinyl, merch, and more. Plus, they carry a lot of cool vintage and boutique things such as vintage instruments. The vintage instrument is where our story begins.

Billy Gibbons, of ZZ Top fame, was in Lake Charles over the weekend to play a show at the Golden Nugget. It just so happens that Gibbons is not only an amazing guitar player, but naturally, he likes to collect them as well. His collection is around 450 guitars so far, with his most famous one being his '59 Les Paul he calls "Miss Pearly Gates". Now, he has added to that collection with a little help from our very own Panorama Music Exchange located in downtown Lake Charles. A 1952 Fender Esquire caught his eye at the exchange.

Billy Gibbons Panorama Music Exchange
Billy Gibbons Panorama Music Exchange
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It's been called the "poor man's Telecaster", but that's really not a true statement. The esquire is a totally separate animal of its own although it does have similar looks to its Telecaster brother. It was first built in 1950 as Fender's first solid-body guitar. As quickly as the single pickup version was made, Fender fired off a two pickup version that eventually would be named the "Telecaster". After the "Tele" hit the market, the demand for the Esquire dwindled quickly and it was discontinued in 1969. I can't go into detail on the deal that Gibbons got from Panorama, but I can tell you that the guitar in question has had others like it be estimated to be worth almost $40,000 in all-original condition.

Billy Gibbons Panorama Music Exchange
Billy Gibbons Panorama Music Exchange
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Gibbons took the guitar for a test drive at the exchange and took it home. It didn't sit idle long. Gibbons pulled it out on stage that night for ZZ Top's Golden Nugget show.

30 famous people you might not know were college athletes

Stacker dug deep to find 30 celebrities who were previously college athletes. There are musicians, politicians, actors, writers, and reality TV stars. For some, an athletic career was a real, promising possibility that ultimately faded away due to injury or an alternate calling. Others scrapped their way onto a team and simply played for fun and the love of the sport. Read on to find out if your favorite actor, singer, or politician once sported a university jersey.

 

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